Hook straight-shank barbless midge hook (Fulling Mill Grab Gape), 16 (European sizing. It fishes like a US 18)
Thread Black 12/0
Materials
Bead Silver tungsten bead (2mm (5/64"))
Tail Midge Mirage, opal (a few strands, short)
Body Black Benecchi 12/0 thread (thread body)
Rib Hends 0.09mm X-Fine wire, copper (one strand)
Coating Solarez Bone Dry (brushed in)
How to tie it
Mount a Fulling Mill Grab Gape in size 16 with a 2mm silver tungsten bead. Jake's warning on this one is that bead sizing at these hook sizes is trial and error. You try beads until one sits right.
Start black Benecchi 12/0 behind the bead and wrap back to about the halfway point of the shank.
Tie in a few strands of opal Midge Mirage there as the tail. Jake keeps it short, the original pattern he worked from ran a long tail and shortening it is part of what he changed. Pearl would do, but the Mirage throws three or four colours and that is the flair he is after.
Tie in the copper Hends 0.09mm wire right behind the bead and lay it back down the shank with open wraps.
Wrap the thread forward in covering wraps to bury the tail butts and the wire, building a slight taper mainly right behind the bead. That taper is what locks the bead in place.
Keep the body genuinely thin. This is the whole point of the fly for Jake: look at a midge in the water and it is very slender, and the longer he ties the slimmer he wants them. The 12/0 thread is what makes that possible.
Wrap the wire forward in open spaced turns, tie it off behind the bead and helicopter the tag off.
Take a couple more wraps behind the bead and whip finish.
Put a small amount of Solarez Bone Dry on and work it in with a fine brush rather than leaving a thick liquid bulb, then cure for three or four seconds under the UV light.